


Surprise

by eveshka



Series: Tales of the Dawn King [52]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, ignoctweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-14 17:18:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13594719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eveshka/pseuds/eveshka





	Surprise

It went without saying that Noctis had birthday parties. He was, after all, the Crown Prince of Insomnia, and everyone in the world knew his birthday. At least, that’s how it seemed every August when gifts and visitors piled into Insomina for a week-long extravaganza.

His face was everywhere, on every thing. Commemorative plates, figurines, spoons and statues. Children had balloons and adults had fans and mugs. To the birthday child, it was exciting. But to the staff… it was a case of much ado.

To Ignis, it was a pointedly painful reminder.

 

Ignis was turning eleven, and quite honestly, he wasn’t that interested in birthdays anymore. His uncle sent him a card with a credit note so he could get himself something, but he would probably only bank it and forget it existed, as usual. After all, what could Ignis want when he was beholden to the prince? Anything he had was automatically absorbed by the younger boy anyway. It was just the way of things.

So he adjusted his glasses, pocketed the card, and pushed open the door to Noctis’ room.

 

Empty.

No Noctis in sight.

 

With a much put-upon sigh, Ignis crossed the room and began his search.

Behind the curtains? Nope.

Behind the sofa? Not there.

In the bathroom? Empty.

Under the bed? A sock.

Ignis stood up with the sock in his hand, and considered. Perhaps there had been a change in lessons that day that Ignis hadn’t noticed. He’d take the sock to the laundry room and then check with Noctis’ tutor.

 

The laundry room was just down the hall, and when Ignis walked in to put the sock in the dirty hamper, he frowned. A blue toy truck was in the hamper. He exchanged sock for hamper and headed out to the play room to put the truck back where it belonged.

 

In the play room, where the truck should have been sitting was a small saucer from the kitchens, and Ignis sighed softly. Noctis had developed the habit of leaving whatever he had been holding when he changed his mind or what he was doing. So now Ignis needed to take the plate back to the kitchen before he could go speak to the tutor. Having OCD when you were ten was a ridiculous thing.

 

In the kitchen, Ignis did not set the plate on the counter. He washed it, dried it, and then put it in the rack for someone to put away, as he couldn't reach the cabinet.

In the rack was a gardening tool.

Ignis sighed.

 

He encountered Regis in the hallway outside the garden, startled into a bow when Regis asked him where he was going.

“I was just putting the tool away, sir. I found it in the kitchen. I suppose someone felt it needed a wash and left it in the rack to dry.”

“Well, then. You’d best get that back in the toolbox. Run along, Ignis, and thank you for your help today,” Regis replied as Ignis bowed again and hurried to the garden. If he ran he might make it to Noctis’ tutor before anyone noticed that Noctis was missing for lunch.

He burst through the greenhouse door and bowled into someone, dropping the tool with a yelp. Caught up in a tangle of feet and arms and hair, Ignis came to a rumpled stop at black-clad feet that he’d only just seen. Merciful Six, he’d rolled to a stop at Regis’ feet. He was going to die of embarrassment.

But Regis only smiled and helped him stand, brushing his clothing off and rumpling his hair gently before resting his hands on Ignis’ shoulders. Ignis began to stammer out a litany of apologies when he was turned around by his liege, and came to a rambling halt.

It was clear that he’d crashed into Noctis, who was slowly picking himself up off of the ground, a crumpled cone-shaped hat of many colors in his hand.

But what truly had Ignis’ attention was the table in the greenhouse.

 

A huge cake sat next to a pile of presents decorated in silver with black trim. Plates and utensils were at the side of the table, and balloons hung in the air all around the greenhouse.

Ignis didn’t even think it was for him, and turned to Noctis. “I apologize; I didn’t realize you were expecting a guest. I’ll-”

He stopped when Noctis put the hat on his head and grinned at him. “Happy Birthday, Igigg!”

The King’s hands hadn’t left his shoulders, and he heard Regis speak gently by his ear. “Happy Birthday Ignis. Let’s have some cake and you can open your presents, hmm?”

This was for him. His birthday. His name was on the silvered cake in beautiful purple icing. “Happy Birthday Ignis” it read. _He_ was the guest.

Purple was his favorite color after that.


End file.
